Keep meals simple and with choices. Keep kids in mind.
Anything can happen
ALthough there is good tips below, first consider your attitude about meals. Yes you can have a great gourmet meal. Still break down the expectations and selections. Create a marvelous salad with two different dressings on the side. A new version of potatoes could be wonderful, but also have good bread and butter. If they don’t like the potatoes they can gracefully eat some bread. If they want to place cheese, some salad on the bread as a sandwich, relax. They are eating aren’t they? The less attached you are to the results, the better. Enjoy your food. Let them find ways to enjoy theirs.
Choices empower everyone.
Read on.
You should also keep in mind that your children are people too when cooking for them. Just as you have foods you like and dislike they also will develop tastes over time. Those tastes may also change in time as well. It’s frustrating, I know, to spend time and money preparing a meal only to have your child push the plate away and refuse to even try the meal. For this, I recommend enlisting their help in the kitchen. Children are much more likely to eat the things they had a hand in preparing as a matter of accomplishment and pride. It’s psychological warfare I know but all is fair in war and dinnertime. (Erase that warfare idea. Kids love to help out and share their ideas. Encourage them with love and fun.)
Perhaps the greatest gift you can give yourself (much greater than the help in the kitchen) by ‘forcing’ your little ones to help prepare dinner is that they will learn to better appreciate your culinary efforts and eat peacefully rather than sullenly. This tactic has met with great success in my friends’ households when cooking for little ones. I hope you will enjoy the same degree of success as well.
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